


Teal

by tordarroch



Series: Colours [7]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Blackwatch Era, Feelings, Kissing, M/M, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-27 21:23:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16710283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tordarroch/pseuds/tordarroch
Summary: Gabriel struggles to come to terms with his feelings for Jesse.





	Teal

**Author's Note:**

> kept you waiting, huh?

One night had turned into several, and before Gabriel knew it, Jesse was an almost permanent fixture in his quarters. He’d been a fool to think it would have gone any other way.

This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid.

But what was done, was done. They couldn’t undo spending the night together, and Gabriel didn't have the energy to try and clean up this mess. Letting things naturally fall into a familiar rhythm was just so much easier. He’d tried telling himself that what he was doing was dangerous; that it fell under the category of a _relationship_ , rather than lovers - but the logical part of his brain seemed to have shut down.

At least he hadn’t done anything _really_ stupid - like tell Jesse how he felt. No, he just let the other man completely integrate himself into his private life so that every waking moment of Gabriel’s day was either spent with Jesse, thinking about Jesse or just surrounded by things that reminded him of the brat. After all, he had wasted no time ‘moving in’.

Jesse had claimed a drawer and filled it with socks and boxers he didn’t wear, some kind of front so that he appeared to be an organised adult, perhaps? The display might have worked too, might have tricked Gabriel into thinking Jesse was a functioning human being if Gabriel hadn’t already had the conversation with him about how disgusting his personal hygiene was. It hadn’t improved, and as much as Gabriel vocally complained about it, he wasn’t sure he wanted it to.

He needed Jesse to have flaws. It made it easier to keep him at arm’s length, especially now that an arm’s length was the only distance left between them. 

Shifting, he let out a sigh as he felt a cramp starting in his thigh. With a loud huff, he sat up, rotating on the bed so he was lying horizontally across it, and subsequently across Jesse’s legs.

Okay, so sitting in the bed, both of them on their tablets with some soft instrumental music in the background certainly might seem like a very ‘married couple’ thing to be doing. However, Gabriel argued with himself, it was just that the desk was across the room and the bed was very comfortable, and of course, they’d both had such long days that they were just comfortable being in each other’s company…

Maybe too comfortable, Gabriel thought to himself, but before he could beat himself up, Jesse lowered his hands, placing them on the back of his thighs, his fingers playing with the hem of his boxers.

“Hey, Gabe, when was the first time you… y’know…”

Gabriel took in a deep breath as he continued to scroll down the open document on his tablet, not bothering to look over his shoulder. “The first time I what?”

“I don’t know, jus’ like, when was the first time…” Jesse’s voice trailed off again, and he felt the fingers on his boxers slide under the fabric, rubbing the backs of his thighs as he hesitated, waiting for Gabriel to prompt him, but he wasn’t here to hold Jesse’s hand through every conversation they had. He’d found Jesse’s reluctance to ask him more personal questions start to fade, but he still had reservations that Gabriel didn’t particularly ease or help with. He knew he wasn’t resisting as much, but there was no changing who he was at the core, and he had never been one for freely giving information without being prompted. Still, Jesse eventually persevered. “Like, when did you first have sex?”

“Mm, you’re gonna need to be a bit more specific because I’m assuming that you won’t accept that I was seventeen, at a house party, and ended up flopping around on top of a girl nicknamed Duck for approximately thirty seconds before she shoved me off and got together with some guy who mistook the bedroom for the bathroom,” he mumbled, his voice a drone as he opened a message from Jack, only to dismiss it moments later as he saw it was yet again another video of a monster truck falling over.

“Wait, did that really happen?”

Gabriel shrugged, looking over his shoulder for a moment before going back to his tablet. “Okay, it was less than thirty seconds, but it’s my story so I’m rounding up,” he said with a chuckle, rolling his eyes, He could remember it too clearly for his liking, but it didn’t even make his top ten embarrassing moments anymore. Most of those had actually occurred in the presence of Jesse because he couldn’t help but constantly make a fool of himself around him. He used to think nothing could top his thirty seconds with Duck, but that had finally taken the tumble out of the hall of fame after he tried to have a quickie with Jesse and used a mayonnaise packet left over from his lunch instead of lube.

“Alright, well, that’s not really what I mean. M’talkin’ ‘bout like… stuff with guys…”

“Of course, you are,” Gabriel replied with a sigh, sliding his finger down the side of the tablet to turn it off before he threw it onto the nightstand. Slowly, he rolled over, forcing Jesse to move his hands as he splayed himself out across Jesse, spreading his legs slightly, knowing Jesse’s eyes were on his body. Neither of them was dressed; both only in their boxers, but at least Gabriel could keep his eyes to himself.

Or so he thought.

Gabriel realised almost immediately that the only reason he hadn’t been gawking at Jesse was because he had been lying on his stomach. Now that he could see him… well, it was a different story. His eyes drifted down from his face onto his chest, his gaze lingering on the dense hair that covered him and he let out a small sigh, sliding his hands behind his head and turning his attention to the ceiling.

“You want to know the first time I touched a dick? Sucked a dick? Fucked a guy in the ass? Got fucked in the ass?” He asked, closing his eyes as he tried not to think about Jesse and how attractive he was for one goddamn minute.

“Uh, y’know, I was jus’ curious ‘bout the first time you let someone fuck you, ‘cause I know you weren’t no virgin in any way when we started fuckin so I dunno… You don’t gotta tell me if you don’t wanna,” Jesse rambled, placing his hands back on Gabriel’s thighs, rubbing his skin gently, brushing his fingers over the soft hair. “I mean, it’s just you’re like, real comfortable doin’ anythin’ so I was just wonderin’ how experienced you are.”

“I’m old, I’ve done a lot of shit,” Gabriel said with a laugh, opening one eye to look at Jesse, and the expression on the kid’s face killed him. He was so naive sometimes, so curious and vulnerable, and in that moment Gabriel could have gone back to thinking that maybe he was taking advantage; abusing his position of power but the way Jesse’s hand slid up his thigh made those thoughts instantly dissipate. Jesse was a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and he had made it clear time and time again that what he wanted was Gabriel.

“Okay, alright, but like, before I came along, was there anyone who was like me in your life?”

Gabriel rolled his eyes, shrugging. “You mean a constant pain in my ass? No, there wasn’t.”

“No, I mean like, did you have a boyfriend-but-not-boyfriend kind of deal with anyone?” He asked, his fingers once again finding the hem the pressed into the soft flesh of his thigh.

“You really need to work on your phrasing, you’re terrible at trying to get answers,” Gabriel whispered, pushing himself up on his elbows, rolling his head between his shoulders as he inhaled deeply. “But before Blackwatch, there was a list of nobodies, no spectacular sex, just the usual crap that was easy, but always… left me wanting more, I guess. The only person of note was Jack.”

Jesse cocked his head, sliding his free hand to his head, pushing his hair back as he smiled. “So… You gonna tell me what the deal was with you two? If he’s the only person of note in your very, very, very, _very_ long life… Then I feel I got the right to know exactly who you’re mentally comparing me to.”

“I’ve never mentally compared the two of you,” he lied, averting his gaze with a sigh, running a hand over his stomach as he tried to ignore the way Jesse stared at him. The kid was hanging on his every word; he actually _wanted_ to know more about him, and not for his file or a mission… he was genuinely interested in him. “But I already told you. We messed around, but we’re better off friends. He’s a great guy, my best friend, and I love him.”

“Uh huh…”

Gabriel glanced at Jesse again, just in time to see the hurt expression on his face as he toyed with Gabriel’s boxers, apparently trying to distract himself and then it hit him what he had said. It had come out so naturally when talking about Jack because loving his friend was easy. He had known him for so long, they had saved each other time and time again, and sure, they had their differences, but there was still no one he trusted more.

Saying he loved Jesse though… It would mean so much more, the implications so much more severe.

He felt the words on the tip of his tongue but whatever he wanted to say was gone as he felt a hand press down on his crotch suddenly, a distraction from anything he might have been about to say. He looked down at the wandering hand, watched as it reached up to his waistband, tugging gently.

“Oh, we’re onto this now?” Gabriel asked, a lazy smirk on his face as he glanced between his crotch and Jesse, a playful look on the younger man’s face as he sucked his lower lip into his mouth.

“Well, I was tryna be all coy by messin’ with your hem but it’s takin’ a lil’ too long for my likin’, since 'm desperate to have you sat on my dick,” Jesse drawled, pulling down his waistband, enough for his flaccid cock to spring out and he could only let out a small sigh, letting Jesse pull his boxers down further, down his legs and off his ankles before throwing them to the side.

He tilted his head, letting out another sigh as Jesse ran his hand along his leg, trailing his fingers along his skin. Gabriel quietly watched, his eyes curiously on Jesse’s hand as it made its way higher up his leg, reaching his thigh before he stopped and placed his palm flat against him, massaging his thigh softly.

“C’mon, you wanna fuck?” Jesse asked as he moved his hand towards Gabriel’s cock, groping it idly, stroking slowly as he easily made Gabriel hard. Nothing made him feel better than Jesse did; just a simple touch was enough to arouse him, and he could go from nought to sixty in a few seconds, or so it seemed to him anyway. He found himself staring down as Jesse's hand worked him, his cock growing harder with each touch before he retreated back to his own spot, reaching into the nightstand to grab a tube.

Gabriel watched as Jesse lazily slicked his cock up, his hand running up and down the length as he stared over at Gabriel with hungry eyes. He swallowed hard, looking around the room for a brief moment. How had a quick, drunken fuck escalated to this? How had this brat managed to worm his way into Gabriel’s life? When had he let it happen? At what point had he lowered his guard?

He could still hear his own words echo in his mind: _“I just need you to understand that we can’t be anything official, so please, stop asking for things I can’t give you. I will do anything for you, physically, but emotionally, I can’t give you what you need. I don’t want to hurt you, Jesse.”_

How long ago had he said that now? It felt like a lifetime ago, and in the meantime, he had fallen harder and faster than he could control, and he was starting to suspect that Jesse knew. Shaking his head, he laughed to himself, earning a curious look from Jesse. He was really kidding himself now. Of course, Jesse knew by this point, otherwise, he wouldn’t have continued to push the concept of them. The kid always did have a tough time with rejection, even if it was for his own good.

As time went on, he found it harder to pull away. He liked how he was with Jesse; liked how it felt to be around him, liked how it felt to be _with_ him, and even if he hadn’t said such a thing, well… Jesse wasn’t dumb, no matter how much he liked to pretend he was. He was a fool for thinking he could control this. He should have known that Jesse didn’t need verbal emotional nourishment; that he could sap all of that from the way they fucked.

No matter what they did together, the chemistry was always dizzying; a simple kiss said more than he could ever. Had he even tried to mute his body language?

“Boss, you wanna… c’mere, or what?” Jesse asked, dragging Gabriel back to the moment and he cast a glance down at his own cock, his erection heavy still, despite his train of thought, and Jesse continued to stroke his own dick, the wet slapping sound of his hand working his length filling the silence. His other hand found Gabriel’s thigh, his fingers dancing over his skin as a crooked smile appeared on his lips. “C’mon, I wanna make you feel good,” he mumbled, dragging his teeth over his lip as Gabriel pushed himself up, his cock bouncing as he shuffled across the bed, climbing into Jesse’s lap, his hands gripping his shoulders with a roll of his eyes.

“Mhm, I’m sure that’s the reason. I’m sure it has nothing to do with you wanting to score,” he joked, letting out a long breath as he settled down on Jesse’s lap, his hard cock sliding between his asscheeks as he started to slowly rock, spreading the lube everywhere and making a mess, but he didn’t care. Since Jesse was here all the time now, he could get the kid to change his sheets for him.

Jesse went to speak, but as usual, having Gabriel in his lap quickly silenced him from saying anything. It was hard for him to process Jesse’s love and adoration, so hard for him to accept it. He always thought he was undeserving, especially from someone like Jesse. Sure, on the surface, Jesse was some brat gangbanger, a stain on society but he knew what Jesse was capable of; knew he was destined for so much more and deep down, he knew that whilst he could help propel him to great things, a relationship with him would just be a hindrance.

It was selfish.

And yet, he couldn’t help himself.

He reached behind himself, gripping Jesse’s dick as he adjusted himself, raising up enough to allow himself to press the tip against his ass but before he could sink down, Jesse’s hands were on his face, pulling him closer; forcing their lips to meet in a kiss he didn’t want to allow himself but couldn’t resist if it was offered.

“Fuck, you feel so damn good,” Jesse whispered, his hands sliding to Gabriel’s ass, grabbing his cheeks and pulling them apart as he tried to thrust up only Gabriel was insistent, rolling his hips and grinding down onto Jesse’s cock at his own pace.

Gabriel wasted no time as he reached behind himself and guided Jesse’s dick into his ass, pressing the tip in with a heavy sigh as he sunk down slowly, his body relaxing instantly as he revelled in the sensation of Jesse’s cock stretching him open. He hadn’t ever imagined that he could be involved in something so good; so easy.

“Don’t stop Gabe, don’t you dare fuckin’ stop,” Jesse rasped, swallowing hard as he licked his lips, tilting his head back as Gabriel pushed himself up and down, his thighs tensing up each time; his cock sliding between their bodies as he moved. He had no plans to stop, and even though he knew it was just the usual ramblings of a lust induced Jesse, he found himself shaking his head, his hands sliding up from Jesse’s shoulders and onto his neck, his thumbs rubbing his hairy jaw as he continued to ride him.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he whispered, his body trembling as he leaned in and captured Jesse’s lips again, his mouth dry from panting too much, his tongue desperately seeking moisture from Jesse’s mouth. He could remember a time when he almost resented having to kiss Jesse, hated that the kid demanded it whenever they fucked; the kisses Gabriel gave felt too intimate, the kisses Jesse offered far too juvenile, but now… now he found himself looking forward to kissing, saw it as something to participate in rather than power through.

Breaking the kiss, he pressed their foreheads together, opening his eyes only to discover that Jesse was staring back at him, his eyes wide. Any words he wanted to say were lost as he stared back, his hands sliding down to Jesse’s shoulders again, holding onto him as Gabriel continued to fuck himself on Jesse’s thick cock, the feeling of his dick filling him forcing soft moans to fall from his lips each time he moved. He had never been this vocal with anyone before in his life, never trusted anyone like this. There was no judgement, no having to compromise anymore. He could act however he wanted, would accept Jesse however he wanted to be, and as the realisation dawned on him, he found himself blindly searching for Jesse’s right hand, grabbing it and shoving it between their bodies, their foreheads still pressing against each other as he eased Jesse’s hand onto his cock.

Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by everything, and he found himself frantically kissing Jesse again, his body rocking on Jesse’s cock, his hands sliding to touch every inch of Jesse he could reach as Jesse started to rub his dick between them, his rough hand knowing exactly what he needed as he raised his body up, letting Jesse thrust up into him as he jerked him off.

“Fuck, gonna come, gonna come,” Gabriel panted, dragging his lips down to Jesse’s neck, kissing every part of skin his mouth encountered, his tongue darting out and licking enthusiastically as he tried to calm himself down but it was too late as he felt himself release, moans falling from his lips as he bucked himself on Jesse’s cock, meeting every one of Jesse’s sloppy thrusts as he rode out his orgasm, his hands grabbing and groping Jesse as he found himself unable to control himself; unable to control his movements. He just wanted to feel more of Jesse; just wanted to hold him, kiss him and _be_ with him.

“God, you’re so fuckin’ hot, so hot,” Jesse whispered, his hands sliding to Gabriel’s ass again, holding his cheeks open as he fucked up into him, and Gabriel found himself melting in his lap, his forehead soon pressing against Jesse’s hairy, sweat-slicked chest as he just let Jesse thrust into him. He usually could gauge how close Jesse was to coming, but his mind felt as though it was dribbling out of his ears, white noise surrounding him as his body felt numb; his entire existence feeling like static.

He knew Jesse was talking, could feel the vibrations from his chest but whatever he was saying never made it to his ears as he just remained in Jesse lap like a dead weight, his cock still dripping as Jesse continued to push his dick deep inside. He closed his eyes, his breath shaking as he exhaled against his skin, his lips weakly kissing his chest as he just let Jesse do whatever he wanted, his fingers grabbing and groping his ass, pushing and pulling him around on his thighs, clearly seeking his own climax but Gabriel knew he couldn’t help.

“Come inside,” Gabriel managed to get out, the word please leaving his mouth as more of a sob, but he didn’t care. Jesse needed to know what he did to him; he had the right to know. However, if Jesse was paying attention or not was unknown to him as he continued to rub his face against Jesse’s chest, his ass aching as Jesse’s thick dick continued to stretch him out, his blunt thrusts almost punishing at this point. Just as he felt he was about to pass out, he felt Jesse tense up, his breathing stopping as he gripped Gabriel’s ass hard, his thrusts sloppy and sporadic as he let a shaky moan fall from his lips, grunting between breathes as he mumbled nonsense, curse words that made Gabriel smile.

“Fuck, goddamn, holy fuckin’ shit,” Jesse mumbled, pushing Gabriel’s ass down onto his cock and helping him roll his hips so he could milk out his own orgasm for as long as he could. “Fuck, I’m bein’ so fuckin’ serious, godammit Gabe, you’re just so fuckin’ beautiful,” he whispered, his hand sliding under Gabriel’s chin and forcing him to look up at him and the look Jesse gave him was almost enough to give him wind for the second round.

Those big brown eyes staring down at him, completely awestruck. He couldn’t believe that he had this effect on a man like Jesse. Some punk-ass who was almost twenty years younger than him; some brat who could get anyone he wanted… and yet he wanted him. He kept replaying the reasons why over and over in his head, but Jesse had denied every single one of them.

So all that left him with was that Jesse did genuinely care for him; did genuinely love him.

And he didn’t even have the decency to admit that he felt the same. If anything, it was more intense for him. He didn’t have the same distractions that Jesse had; didn’t have the idiot friends and continuously exciting workload. All he had was mundane paperwork at the moment. Sure, he had the occasional mission, but if he was apart from Jesse, it just left him pining the entire time.

He felt like he couldn’t function anymore unless he was near Jesse. Being apart from him sapped all the energy and enthusiasm from him.

As he shifted in Jesse’s arms, he let out a sigh. This was all he wanted. It had taken years, decades of searching but he finally found someone who made him feel special; someone who wanted him for who he was, not what he was… and he was willing to throw it away because he was worried that he might lose his job over it. He could get another job, but could he get another Jesse?

No. He could search for the rest of his life, and he could safely say that he would never find anyone who made him feel like this.

He felt the words on the tip of his tongue, felt them forming on his lips but his voice was dried up, and it suddenly came crashing down on him why he had refused to let it get this far. Yes, he could get another job but…. Getting another job wouldn’t stop the fight. Conflicts wouldn’t suddenly end just because he’d gone and fallen in love. He still had… things he wanted to do, people he wanted to try and help. His team still needed him. Jack needed him.

And then he remembered why he had insisted on the distance as his mind drifted to emails he had gone over previously about missions that needed to be run; about things that needed to be done, and he thought about how he would need to send Jesse back out into the field without him. That he couldn’t constantly hold Jesse’s hand, and that them being like this made no difference to their professional lives… which also meant that Jesse could fall victim to the same dangers that everyone else could… which meant he could go out for a mission and not come back, like so many other people he had worked with in the past; other people that he had cared for.

He was starting to feel dizzy, his mind swimming. Why couldn’t he just live in the moment? Why couldn’t he just… be more like Jesse?

Weakly, he smiled up at Jesse before pushing away, sliding from his lap, Jesse’s cock falling from his ass as he moved, both of them letting out a small laugh.

“I’m still surprised that you let me do anythin’ to you,” Jesse said as he reached over and grabbed his cigarettes from the nightstand, placing one between his lips before throwing the packet back down. “Like, I dunno, it blows my mind that you wanna fuck around with a guy like me. Honestly, like I ain’t fuckin’ around, you’re the best damn thing I ever had.”

Gabriel softly chuckled, shaking his head as he slipped off the bed, pausing for a moment. “You really mean it when you say shit like that, don’t you?” He asked, turning to look at Jesse just in time to catch him lighting up his cigarette, the open flame illuminating his face with a pleasant glow that made his stomach flip; made the butterflies appear that had made themselves at home ever since he had allowed himself to fall for Jesse.

Jesse shrugged, taking a drag as he threw the lighter off the bed, his attention on wiping the stray ash from his chest hair. “I ain’t one for tellin’ lies, not to the people I love, anyway,” Jesse remarked in a blasé manner, shrugging again before he finally looked over at Gabriel. “You okay?”

Nodding, he cleared his throat, taking a step backwards. “Just gotta… clean myself up. I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Alright,” Jesse mumbled, taking another drag from the cigarette before he picked up his own tablet computer, swiping the screen open and pouring his attention into whatever was on the screen, and Gabriel found himself staring for a few moments more as he took the last few steps backwards into the bathroom.

As soon as he was in the bathroom; as soon as he had locked the door, he felt the lump in his throat rising, a tightness over his chest. How much longer could he do this? How much longer could he keep up this act?

-

Gabriel was pouring himself over paperwork when Jesse charged into his office, an excited look on his face as he practically bounded up to his desk and threw himself into the chair in front of it.

“Hey Gabe,” he said as he rolled his head to the side, a smug look on his face as he kicked his feet up onto the desk, flecks of mud falling off onto the paperwork, much to Gabriel’s annoyance but he tried not to let it show.

“What do you want?” Gabriel asked, his voice curt, failing to mask his irritation.

Jesse laughed, sinking deeper into his chair, his hat covering his eyes in a way that unsettled Gabriel. “I jus’ came to tell you that I ain’t gonna be around tonight. I got some serious business to deal with.”

“Uh huh, that’s nice,” Gabriel muttered, brushing the dirt from the paper before he started jotting down notes again, deciding not to look at Jesse. He was fishing for attention, and he was still on the fence as to whether he wanted to provide it. He had a lot of work to do, more so than usual now that he found his evenings filled with Jesse. A night off might be just what he needed to lower his stress levels, and yet he still found himself asking, “And what business would that be?”

“I can’t tell you, but Genji an’ me are havin’ a sleepover,” Jesse said with a somewhat proud tone that made Gabriel raise an eyebrow.

“You’re aware it’s against the rules for you to spend the night in Genji’s room now that he has private quarters.”

Jesse snorted loudly, kicking his heel against the desk again. “An’ you’re aware it’s against the rules for you to suck my dick, for me to suck your dick, for me to stick my tongue in your ass, for me to fuck you, for you to lick my balls, for-“

Gabriel let out a long sigh, placing his pen down before he leaned back in his chair. “Yes, I get it, I get it, - you can stop,” he grumbled, reaching up to take his reading glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What I’m getting at is, don’t let anyone catch the two of you together after hours. I can’t get you out of trouble if Jack catches you, or even worse, Ana. She’s already on my case about the time you two stole a bottle of whiskey from the requisitions office. She doesn’t have proof, but she knows it was you two.”

“It was vodka, actually,” Jesse said with a smile, and Gabriel groaned in response, rolling his eyes.

“The point is, don’t get in trouble. I don’t give a shit what the two of you do, but I don’t need any more heat surrounding all of us. I’m fucking you, and Genji-” He cut himself off before he finished that sentence, uncertain as to whether he wanted to let Jesse know about that. Jesse hadn’t mentioned Genji and Jack, so chances were that Genji hadn’t shared that information with him. The less Jesse knew, the less he could spill in the event that he was ever interrogated by Ana. “Just keep your noses clean, alright?”

Jesse opened his mouth, apparently ready to make a witty retort before he reconsidered and shut his lips, reaching up to rub his thumb against the small patch of hair under his lower lip.

“Yeah, alright, deal.”

-

Knowing that he would be alone, Gabriel’s plans for the evening were to select a few files, leave his office early and retire to his quarters with a bottle of whiskey and a nice, fat cigar. The items sat on his desk, pleading for him to leave, but as he had been set to leave, Agent Barney had made himself welcome and had refused to go until Gabriel provided them at least one more person for the mission Gabriel already felt uncomfortable sanctioning.

The conversation had been even more uncomfortable when he looked over the file; looked over the notes and the intel and he realised the exact person he needed to send on the mission. It called for a sharpshooter, someone who could carry out the ruthless deeds that neither Barney or Thomas would be able to do.

He made a show of looking over all his recruits, but deep down, he knew the perfect person for the job was Jesse McCree.

Jesse had the skill; had the talent. He was exceptionally intelligent, and could think quickly, assess a situation and adapt to changes in plans faster than anyone else Gabriel had in his team but… He knew what was holding him back from suggesting him for the mission.

It was what he had always feared would happen; his personal feelings getting in the way of his work but at least he had a reason for this, or at least he told himself that. The mission was not a good one, it wouldn’t garner him any praise and could possibly lead to disciplinary action, and he needed to keep Jesse out of that.

Jesse had a bright future ahead of him, and he didn’t want to tarnish his record. The higher ups already had their issues with ignoring Jesse’s past, Gabriel didn’t want to give them any more ammunition. If this mission was to go as wrong as he envisioned it, he didn’t want to risk Jesse not only being stripped of his newfound rank, but he didn’t want to risk Jesse exposing what they were.

It was selfish; it was self-centred, but he was not prepared to lose everything just because Barney wanted to go on a witch hunt. Yes, he had sanctioned it, but he still didn’t approve.

He glanced over the roster, shaking his head. Jesse was the right person for the mission, he was the best fit and whilst all the reasons he had considered were bad, the worst reason he found himself dismissing Jesse was that he didn’t like the idea of sending him out onto a mission alone; didn’t like the idea of spending time away from him just yet. The last time they had been apart had been torture for him, and with their new situation, he wasn’t certain he could bear to be away from him.

Everything he had feared was becoming a reality and now was the perfect time to pull the plug on this nonsense.

He could send Jesse on the mission, a mission he was overqualified for but one that was dangerous in so many ways. Jesse would read too much into it like he always did, and that would be it. He would hate him for it, but it would be over, and he wouldn’t have to deal with it all anymore. He could go back to just being… alone.

Laughing, he shook his head again, and he didn’t miss the confused expression on Barney’s face, apparently curious as to what he was finding funny. He didn’t need to know about the lies he told himself, about how much he kidded himself. He was an idiot for thinking he could break this off; for thinking he could treat Jesse as just another recruit.

“I can give you Jennings, but she is a sniper. Don’t take her close to any action, keep her back. Remember that Thomas is the pilot. Going in, it’s going to be you alone. Keep your radio channels open. Communication will be vital,” he mumbled, selecting the option to assign Jennings to the mission on his computer before he turned to look at Barney. “Don’t fuck this up.”

“Yes, sir!”

-

There were many things that made Genji curious on the base, but the biggest one was Reinhardt. The German crusader was a mystery to him. Yes, he knew the stories, had heard them from the man himself. His past and present were of no concern to him, no. It was a more straightforward matter that made him curious.

There was a part of him deep down that needed to know the logistics of how Reinhardt lived. The man was huge, especially compared to him. Both in height and width, Genji had already clocked him as formidable foe and ally, and he had often challenged the big man to a duel, only to be laughed off and dismissed.

So yes, he had become somewhat fixated on him, and part of him was now determined to show him that his skills of infiltration and stealth were not to be shrugged off so quickly.

It had all been relatively quiet though, and Genji had seen no reason to act just yet; no reason to prove himself to a man who wasn’t prepared to hear him out. However, an offhand remark in the mess hall about how Genji couldn’t steal candy from a baby had set about the course of actions currently unfolding.

Steal candy from a baby? That didn’t interest him at all.

Steal a giant hammer from a lumbering German bear? Now, that was something he felt _compelled_ to do.

However, he knew he would be unable to fulfil the task alone. He had attempted to lift the hammer before and whilst he could, carrying it alone was out of the question. There was also the tricky part of breaking into Reinhardt’s room to get the hammer. He was good at hacking, but he hadn’t been here as long as some of the others had, he still had a lot to learn. His enhanced eyes helped him tremendously, but he needed help.

There was only one person he would trust to help him out.

After all, he had done Jesse a favour by letting him fuck him in front of Commander Reyes. So, stealing a hammer would be a simple task.

“So, on three alright?” Jesse whispered down to where Genji was crouched, a small device in his hand and wires not belonging to himself hung, connected to a device in Jesse’s, and then ultimately, to the control panel on Leuitenant Wilhelm’s sleeping quarters. Their entry would be swift and silent.

Or at least it would have been if they hadn’t each downed a few too many beers.

“Okay, three, yes,” Genji mumbled, his eyes on Jesse’s face as he mouthed the words:

One. Two.

On three, both their handheld devices lit up green, and Reinhardt’s door slid open, Genji unable to resist making a noise of celebration, only to have Jesse’s hand slapped over his mouth. Where and when he had lost his faceplate was beyond him… But he instantly reached up to pull Jesse’s hand away because he knew precisely where that hand had been, and no amount of soap could clean it.

“Alright, follow me,” Jesse uttered, not nearly half as drunk as he was, it seemed, but he found himself crawling alongside Jesse. He was drunk enough to find this funny, but not so drunk that he didn’t notice two lumps in the bed. The first was obviously Reinhardt; the size was an easy giveaway.

But the second? It seemed slim; petite, especially compared to Reinhardt.

It was only as he bumped into Jesse’s ass did he realise Jesse had stopped crawling and was staring at the bed where the second figure lay.

“Hey, Jesse, I think Reinhardt may have-“

He was shushed again by a hand that waved in his direction before the same hand waved towards the bed. A moment passed, his breath held before he watched Jesse relax and smile, his head shaking as he looked back at Genji again.

“It’s Captain Amari, an’ this is gonna sound terrifyin’, but it turns out she sleeps with her eyes open,” Jesse drawled, his voice quiet as he started shuffling across the floor again.

Genji looked perplexed for a moment as he followed Jesse, but his confusion dissipated as he locked eyes with Ana Amari, her stern face enough to make him tense up and freeze like a deer in headlights. He swallowed hard, maintaining his gaze with her until he heard a soft thud and he started to scramble away, an uneasy feeling in his gut as he managed to get to Jesse, and more importantly: the hammer.

“You have bigger hands,” Genji whispered, gesturing down. “You take that end. I take the handle.”

Jesse frowned at him for a second before shrugging and swapping places with Genji, and on another silent three, they both picked up the ends and for the first time, Genji realised that this might not have been such a stupid idea.

“Okay go go,” Genji whispered, and they both started shuffling along, both of them looking over at Ana, her open eyes trained on them as they escorted the hammer out of the room and it wasn’t until they were in the corridor again, closing the door and tidying up the panel, that Genji felt at ease again.

But they finally had the hammer and some unexpected juicy gossip.

“So, Ana an’ Reinhardt, huh?” Jesse said with a heavy sigh, leaning against the hammer. “Ain’t no one around here able to keep it in their pants?”

“It would appear so,” Genji replied, wiping the panel down one final time before he stepped away, shoving Jesse away from the handle, taking hold of it and nodding for Jesse to do the same. “I have been thinking. About what I have with Jack.”

“What kinda thinkin’? I thought you were all for keepin’ it chill an’ casual,” Jesse replied, letting out a huff as he hauled the head of the hammer up.

“We have sex. A lot,” Genji continued, pulling a face. “But he also insists on doing small talk.”

“Somethin’ wrong with a bit of small talk?”

“He asks me about my past, and I find myself telling him things I swore not to repeat to another soul. He asks me how I am, and I honestly respond. I find myself not having to lie around him because… He actually listens when I speak,” Genji said with a softer voice.

“Aww, ain’t this cute,” Jesse drawled. “I think you’re fallin’ in love.”

-

“I think I’m falling in love,” Jack said in a deep voice, hissing as the whiskey finally travelled down his throat, the warmth from the drink making his cheeks heat up. His intentions for the evening had not been to get drunk with his best friend. They had been more… boring.

He had missed this. Missed just hanging out with Gabriel Reyes, instead of them having to butt heads as Commanders. Missed getting comfortably drunk with him. Missed just having someone who knew him to talk to, which was how they had ended up on talk of relationships, both of them lamenting about their own.

Jack had chosen to keep the fact that he had seen the security tape to himself. He didn’t need Gabriel knowing about that; didn’t need to create a fight needlessly. He had attempted to keep his relationship with Genji under wraps, but Gabriel knew. How? Jack wasn’t sure; he had been very secretive. He assumed Genji, which made him feel instantly at ease. Knowing his recruits trusted him enough to divulge information that could get them dismissed was admirable; he could only wish to have that level with his own recruits.

And he told Gabriel that he knew about Jesse in the loosest sense, and Gabriel had gone into detail, perhaps too much on some subjects, but it warmed Jack to see his friend actually seem happy for once. If Jesse could make his best friend smile, then he would do everything in his power to assist, and if that simply meant help keep their secret, then he was happy to do that.

He knew he held some feelings stronger than friendship towards Gabriel, and he doubted they would ever go away, but being with Genji… it felt good. He didn’t think of Gabriel like that, didn’t live in the hopes that something might happen again. He should have taken the hint a long time ago, but he was stubborn.

“Finally, I thought I’d never get rid of you,” Gabriel replied, leaning back against the headboard of his bed, Jack sitting cross-legged on the end, a small tray sat between them with a bottle of whiskey and two now empty glasses sitting next to it. “Always following me around with those puppy dog eyes…”

Jack scoffed, leaning over to punch Gabriel’s leg, a little harder than intended. No accident. He always hated that Gabriel was right, that he did once look at Gabriel like he was a lost dog. He knew he had let Gabriel get away with too much because Gabriel had flashed him a toothy smile or spoken to him in a deeper voice, purposely leaning in until Jack gave way and let him do as he pleased. He was the Commander of Blackwatch, after all. If Jack didn’t know personally how persuasive Gabriel could be, he would have never have been on board about the split.

“Don’t be a dick. Like you’re not the same with Jesse,” Jack said with a shrug. “I see you trailing him, just desperate for him to show you the slightest bit of affection before you shut him down. What’s with that?”

Gabriel visibly tensed up. Jack had hit a nerve.

He watched as Gabriel leaned forward, pouring them both a new drink.

“Do you worry about what would happen if the higher-ups found out we were fucking two recruits?” Gabriel asked, picking up his own glass and returning to lean against the headboard. “Like, I’ve looked it up. Even with both of them at agent status, we’d be in big trouble. I’m fucking my protégé. You’re fucking some ex-yakuza-turned-cyborg. You of all people understand this would be a public relations nightmare.”

Jack shrugged again, taking his own glass and raising it to his lips, knocking back the drink in one before he let out a gasp, placing the glass back down. “I mean, yeah, but don’t you think the risk is worth it? At first, I was nervous, yeah, but… along the way, the scales tipped, and I think I started falling in love.”

“But love won’t save your ruined career. Love won’t-”

“You’re listing the negatives, Gabe. Stop focusing on that. Don’t you remember when we didn’t think about the future because we weren’t even certain we would have one? Those days and nights we spent together, high fevers, god knows what coming out of both ends. All we had was each other back then, and yeah it wasn’t romantic, but that friendship got me through those times,” Jack said, shaking his head. “And right now, with all this pressure from everyone, Genji is getting me through this. He’s a break from reality, and you can’t sit there and tell me that isn’t what you feel with Jesse. With Genji, I’m just Jack. With Jesse, you’re just Gabe. No Commanders. No uniforms. No rank.”

He took in a deep breath as he finished speaking, his eyes on Gabriel. His friend always mocked him for making speeches; for being all talk and no game, but that was his job. It was what he did. He made sure people felt good about themselves, were inspired to be better. For the briefest moment, he worried he had overstepped, but then he saw a smile break out on Gabriel’s lips before he took a sip of his whiskey.

“I mean, sometimes uniforms are involved…” Gabriel said with a grin, and Jack found himself laughing, nodding as he poured himself another drink.

“Yeah, and Genji does like to ham up the whole ‘commander’ thing,” Jack replied, smirking. “He really loves it when big bad Strike Commander Morrison comes for his ass.”

A comfortable silence fell between them before they both started laughing, shaking their heads and leaning over to playfully nudge each other before they sat there, gasping for air, the bottle of whiskey threatening to tip over if there was any more activity.

“What have we become?”

“Two old commanders in love with two brats,” Jack rasped, wiping away a tear of laughter from his cheek before he raised his glass in the air. “To love?” He asked, unsure as to what Gabriel really felt for Jesse but he leaned forward and tapped their glasses together, an almost sad look passing over Gabriel’s face before his friend smiled.

“To love.”

**Author's Note:**

> i do have a plan for the plot of this and there is a reason for the mentions of a mission. all will be made clear soon enough! if you want to kick my ass for not updating the series for almost a year, i can be found on [twitter](https://twitter.com/torraroch). also i saw somewhere that jesse actually has grey eyes?? but i've written them as brown all the time and i don't feel like changing that.


End file.
